The present invention is generally directed to a cover and lift for a spa or hot tub and, more particularly, to such a cover which is bi-folding and a formed of structural plastic.
It is desirable to cover the open top of a spa or hot tub to prevent dirt or other debris from falling into the spa water and to help retain heat of the spa water which is typically 100+ .degree.F. One conventional spa cover employs a foam material which is covered with fabric. Such conventional spa covers are formed of one piece to cover the entire upper or top surface of the spa. As such, these conventional spa covers are bulky and difficult to move both onto and off of the spa. Also, the foam material tends to absorb water after being placed upon the spa, further adding to the bulkiness of the cover and limiting the usefulness of the cover by making manipulation thereof difficult. Furthermore, such foam spa covers do not have good insulating properties and therefore are not generally useful to help maintain the temperature of the spa water.
In order to avoid some of these disadvantages presented by one-piece foam spa covers, numerous removable covers have been developed. Typically, these covers are modifications of the solid or one-piece cover to permit the cover to be more easily removed and replaced. Such covers typically have a link or arm mechanism to facilitate manipulation of the cover relative to the spa. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,853,985, 4,991,238, 5,471,685, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,703, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a spa cover which is easy to manipulate onto and off of the spa, is conveniently stored when not in use, has good heat insulating properties, fits spas of various sizes and/or is easily adapted to fit spas of numerous sizes, has a relatively long useful life, and is easy to assemble and repair.